I promised something really special a couple of weeks ago and so here it is. It's the absolutely stunning Neuchatel Battalion painted by Alastair Morrison. The figures are all from the iconic 25mm Napoleonic range produced by Jack Scruby in the early 1960s.
When Aly published these on his Aly's Toy Soldiers blog a wee while ago, he mentioned that he'd decided to replace them. As I've been hankering after some Scrubys for ages, I asked him if I could have them, and he gave them to me.
These particular figures are the remastered 25mm Scrubys available from Historifigs in the United States. They are the most beautifully hard, clear and crisp castings, unlike the very soft and 'leady' figures originally sold by Jack. You can spot vintage Scubys a mile away in wargaming blogs because of all the excessively bent muskets!
Jack's 25mm range was designed to be compatible with Hinton Hunts, which these last two pictures demonstrate very well. The Neuchatels and the 3rd Swiss will make a spectacularly attractive brigade, I think. I'll also need to paint a commander for them, of course, and I've got just the fellow, as it happens. He'll be making an appearance in a week or two, with a bit of luck.
As the last photo shows, however, to make them fully compatible with my army I'll need to rebase them, so right after these photos were taken. off they went into a shallow warm bath to soak them off their bases.
Judging from the Historifigs 'Classic 25mm Armies' of the Napoleonic Wars' catalogue, the figures are:
3053: French Fusilier, advancing to the attack, x 10;3054: French Voltigeur, advancing to the attack, x 12; and
3064: French Officer, shako, leading, x 2, with one converted by Aly into a standard bearer.
Thank you Aly. They're like a gloriously golden ray of sunshine, and I will treasure them.
WM
An extremely handsome acquisition!
ReplyDeleteBest Regards,
Stokes
They'll be the first unit to take the field which was not painted by me, Stokes, and I couldn't have wished for a lovelier one!
ReplyDeleteThey are nice castings - you're a lucky man and Aly is a generous man.
ReplyDeleteClearly it is time to reinvigorate attempts to get in touch with Historifigs if this what their 25mm look like - I would love to see how their horses stack up against HH.
I am and he is!
ReplyDeleteScruby horses are a bit problematic - they have no horse furniture whatsoever, in my experience, so it all has to be painted on. This is bit too retro even for me.
Maybe Scruby horse with added horse furniture could be a casting option?
DeleteI've no idea at this point, Rob, but there has to be a solution somewhere.
DeleteLovely 'canaries' Matt. They will be a perfect match for size once off their 'plinths'!
ReplyDeleteRegards, James
*Laughter^. They're gorgeous, aren't they James. This left me a bit conflicted at first because I've been practicing yellow uniforms for ages just for this purpose (hence all those yellow musicians I've been painting), but then Aly went and gazumped me with his incomparable artistry. They were just too beautiful to resist.
DeleteExcellent acquisition, beautiful paint job.
ReplyDeleteThe photos don't really do them justice, Rob. I'm in particular awe of the buttons!
DeleteThese are really nice figures. I still can’t fathom why wargamers ever ‘strayed’ from this size.
ReplyDeleteIt's inexplicable, Jeffers!
DeleteHow lovely to have these, they should fit in completely once re-based. I have a few Scruby Boers in my Boer War collection and they are very appealing figures!
ReplyDeleteIt's really hard to find pictures of Scrubys on t'interwebs, which seems grossly unfair to me. They're rather pleasingly minimalist, and the anatomical proportions and animation are excellent. I think they've got oodles of character. I'm very very tempted to get some more!
DeleteA very nice unit indeed and they will match perfectly once re based.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering where they would turn up after seeing Aly's post on his blog.
They may need slightly deeper bases than my standard battalions, but we'll see how it goes.
DeleteI feel compelled to add another ultra-colourful battalion to this brigade now to make up a division, but their are so many possible choices!
I’m really glad you like them Matthew...
ReplyDeleteI’m looking forward to seeing them all rebased.
How about adding either Regiment Isenbourg (Light Blue)or Regiment Irlandais (Green)...
There would have to be a chance of dazzling the enemy before a charge 😁
All the best. Aly
I'm pleased to report that they're now safely demounted!
DeleteThose are both very good ideas, Aly. I can even test one of them out immediately by temporarily attaching some Bavarians...
I do love those old Scruby figures even with their quirky "no saddles" policy for the cavalry.
ReplyDeleteThey're great, aren't they!
DeleteI have a few of the cavalry, as it happens, so I'll dig them out a post some pictures.
These are just so wonderfully animated and colorful! Out of curiosity, how do you intend to incorporate them into your own armies "look". Will you be painting a fizzy can flag for them? Will you need to file down the figure bases themselves a bit, even after mounting on a thinner base. From the photos they look quite robust compared to the thinner HH bases on the Swiss.
ReplyDeleteThe plan is to keep them as exactly as they are (so no fizzy flag), but on bases which closer in area to those used my other battalions. I don't think I can fit six figures on a standard 40mm x 30mm, but I reckon I could get them onto a 40mm x 34mm base. This will make the battalion a bit deeper, but not too disastrously. I don't think a thinner base will be needed though. They really are a very good match for HHs in terms of stature.
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